One marker of the economic slow-down in Champaign-Urbana was when the big development projects stopped. Development has never completely stopped in Champaign-Urbana. But announcements of the really big projects --- ones that expand the borders of the two cities --- pretty much came to an end with the bursting of the housing bubble.

Illini football is wandering in the desert. For the last three weeks, the big questions concerned injuries, beginning with quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase. Saturday night in Champaign, the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs proved — and quickly — that Nathan Scheelhaase is not the savior of Illini football.